Want to know more about the Chameleon shrimp

[jayc]

Hi SKF,

 

I'm liking the Australian native shrimps more and more.

I'd like to get some Caridina sp WA4 North Australia Chameleon Shrimp. Maybe 10 or so.

 

But I know very little about it.

 

Can someone fill me in on ideal water parameters, temps, food, etc?

If you know where I can get some for a reasonable price, let me know too.

 

[yeswaitnosorry]

try Aquagreen, I bought mine from there.

 http://www.aquagreen.com.au/catalog.html

[jayc]

I saw them on the list there. The price is ok, and I'll use it as a baseline.

But there is little to no info on the Water Parameter requirements.

 

We need someone to do a write up.

Where's Baccus or North Boy?

[yeswaitnosorry]

I keep mine in a variety of tanks and they seem to be doing well in all. Plenty of berried shrimps and lots of juvies to be seen. All are based on ordinary Sydney tap water (pre treated for chlorine/chloramine), I think it is around 7.5. I don't have RO.

The sand substrate tanks means they look a bit pale, but when placed in tanks with dark substrate they colour up beautifully. 

One tank that has a shrimp substrate  has a lot of leaf litter and when I move it around there tons of Chameleon juvies. They seem to like hiding amongst it. Another tank has lots of scoria and larger rocks, and they are very busy in that tank, always grazing(?) over the rocks.

[jayc]

Sounds like they are quite flexible then.

[jayc]

What range of temperature will Chameleons tolerate?

[Grubs]

Most snippets of info say the Chameleons like it a bit warmer 28-30, but  will tolerate cooler.   I had a heap breed up at 25C, but it did take them a long time to get going after I got them from Aquagreen.  ie 3-4 months to settle into the tank.  Getting used to the cooler water temps *might* have been part of that settling in process.  After an unfortunate H2O2 overdose, I had to get a second lot from Aquagreen.  I've had these for ~2 months now and while I see berried females I haven't seen any juveniles at all... I'm rather hoping this second lot is also still in a settling in phase.

 

They are a great tiny shrimp.  They are a lot bolder with NO fish around (you'll see them a lot more).  I have a population persisting in low numbers in a big planted display tank that contains a heap of fish that could eat them.. the shrimp are small and secretive enough, and the tank is complex enough for them to survive... but spotting the Chameleons is a bit of a rare privilege ...in comparison to the DAS that walk around in plain sight giving the fish attitude.

[jayc]

Thanks for that Grubs. 

Valuable info, even for that H2O2 overdose 

I'll make sure I steer clear of that. 

 

Any info on TDS parameters?

I'm assuming lower than 100. At least that is what I am going to set my tank up for.

Edited September 26, 2014 by jayc

[Grubs]

Dave from Aquagreen gave some info on hardness in this thread: http://shrimpkeepersforum.com/forum/index.php/topic/6595-can-you-spot-the-chameleon-shrimp/?p=92413

 

Mine are at ~350µS, 8 dGH, 2 dKH  (~180TDS and  GH ~140ppm and KH ~35 ppm).  If I don't start seeing more juveniles in the tank soon I'm going to try increasing the hardness a little more. I have a theory that the hatchlings are being born but not making it past the first moult.

[fishmosy]

I keep mine in with my cherries at 24-25*C, pH 7. They tend to hide alot as mentioned. If I were going to keep them on their own, I'd choose water parameters closer to those for cherries than for CRS.